IMPROVED CONVEYANCE ESTIMATION – THE KEY TO 1-D RIVER MODELING

The estimation of conveyance is fundamental to river maintenance and to one-dimensional (1-D) river modeling. Current software packages are generally based on methods derived from research completed more than 50 years ago. Subsequent advances in knowledge and understanding have had little impact on industry practice. In 2002, the Environment Agency in England & Wales commissioned a targeted program of research to produce an improved conveyance estimation system, building on recent advances and industry best practice. The program focuses particularly on the effects and management of riverine vegetation, the interaction between river channel and floodplain flows, and the behavior of natural shaped channels. The paper describes the advances in roughness and conveyance estimation. The application of the new techniques is described as a simple application for river maintenance engineers and as an improvement to complex, 1-D river modeling.